In keeping with KAEL's effort to review more classic anime
titles, it's only a matter of time before we turn our
eager eyes on the mother of all
shoujo: THE ROSE DE VERSAILLES. Don't let its
girly genre turn you off. All three of the guys at KAEL were
hooked, hooked on this engrossing tale about a very extraordinary
young woman living in a very extraordinary time. During the two
days it took us to finish all 40 episodes, we couldn't pop
fansubs into the VCR fast enough.
ROSE is shoujo at its best: well-written
and addicting as hell.

Created in manga form by the incomparable Ikeda Riyoko in 1972,
ROSE went on to spawn an anime in 1979 (yes, it's
that old and that good), a traveling play (with an all-female cast),
and a live-action movie (produced in English!). All of which makes
this anime a high watermark for its genre. REVOLUTIONARY GIRL
UTENA would not be the show that it is today had it not been for
ROSE. To say that it blatantly plagiarized this 20-year-old classic
would be an understatement.

Half soap opera, half history lesson, ROSE tells the fascinating story of a
young woman living in 18th century France, spanning the 20 years
prior to the French Revolution. She is only so fascinating
because she was raised as a man, and led a life as a man. Named "Oscar"
by her heirless father, she was forced into a military career at the
tender age of 14 when King Louis XV appointed her Royal Guard Commander for
the Royal Family.
The fact that a 14-year-old girl was chosen as the Royal Guard Commander
is quite unbelievable, but Oscar's steely character - wise beyond her
time and age - makes it perfectly believable.
During a time when women had no careers, she was able to succeed
in the military - of all places - like no other. While it was no mystery
that she was a woman, Oscar did many things other women could not. And she got
away with it only because she did it better than many men. Through Riyoko's mastery
storytelling - weaving historical fact with fiction (the character of Oscar
is all fiction) - we are able to follow
Oscar's life from the Court of Versailles, where she protected Marie Antoinette
as a Royal Guard, to the turbulent streets of Paris, where
she went on to command the French Guards at the dawn of the French Revolution.
Aside from giving us an original character in Oscar,
Riyoko also does a damn good job of humanizing the various
historical characters surrounding
our fictional heroine, especially Antoinette, whose gruesome death during
the Reign of Terror is
common knowledge. This foreboding fact gives the story -
as it slowly unfolds her fate up to the guillotine - a tragic
undertone unlike any shoujo I've seen.

ROSE begins innocently enough, at the turning point of two lives: one destined
to become the last queen of France, the other destined to
serve her. Marie Antoinette and Oscar François de Jarjeyes are respectively introduced
as tomboyish 14-year-olds with
their whole lives ahead of them. The former is an Austrian
princess, a little spoiled but bred with grace and dignity as befitting
her royal heritage. Contrarily, the latter is a young French noble,
raised to compliment her beauty with education and fencing skills as
befitting the young men of her times. Though polar opposites in terms of
personality and breeding, both of their lives will change drastically
in the year 1769, and neither will have a say in the matter.
In order to procure peace between Austria and France, Antoinette
has been arranged to wed the Crown Prince of France Louis XVI. And
Oscar has been chosen as her Royal Guard. While Antoinette accepts her fate like any other 14-year-old, with fright and wonder, Oscar
almost defies the King's order to preserve her freedom.
Never the fool, Oscar knows she can never live her life as a
woman being the Queen's bodyguard. But never the coward, she
bravely accepts her fate, abandons her femininity, and embarks
upon a life of "glory and passion" few can live up to.

From here on the series will chronicle the lives
of these two young women for the next 20 years; from Marie Antoinette's marriage with
Louis XVI to the French Revolution. You can imagine the amount of drama covered by
those two decades - and the show gives you plenty of it - but to my surprise,
ROSE never feels like a soap opera. For one thing, much of the dialogue is very well-written, and soap operas are known for bad writing.
I was expecting for someone to say
something stupid, but no one ever did (well, Antoinette does get a bit flighty
sometimes but she's not the main character). Not only that, much of the romance within this series is handled with a remarkably
light touch, almost as if the producers restrained themselves for fear of
laying it on thick. But that doesn't mean there is no passion, because there
is plenty to spare. Hey, I'm always a fan of shoujo love scenes, especially
when it's handled with maturity. I'm also a
fan of good storylines, and ROSE is teeming with captivating - often
unpredictable - plots. From episode one on, the drama just doesn't stop. I will not even attempt to elaborate because I'll just be scratching the surface. Those who have seen this series know what I'm talking about, those who haven't should rush to find out. Let's just say every character (good and bad) - and there are many - gets a well-crafted story to their name. Riyoko is one skillful juggler: considering how many plots there are, she does a thorough job on every one, and they all fit remarkably well together without ever feeling contrived. Not only are these story arcs enthralling to watch,
a lot of them do a damn good job of pulling the heart strings, even on a jaded Gen-Xer like me. Believe me, all of this is so refreshing after
my experience with the sophmorish schmaltz-fest that is FUSHIGI YUUGI.

Perhaps
the biggest reason ROSE seems to transcend your typical melodrama would be its
historical setting and strong cast of characters. By incorporating real
people and events into the story, Riyoko has half her work
cut out for her. Marie Antoinette's life was rife with affairs,
rivals, loneliness, mistakes, and tragedy. What could be easier than translating
those events into manga? Well, apparently that's too easy for Riyoko. Because she invents a slew of original characters, each with a story of their own. Foremost among them is our heroine Oscar, who is arguably the most complex and kick-ass woman created
in any anime. Though forced to live her life as a man, Oscar is still every
bit a woman. She's just a woman way ahead of her time: educated, outspoken,
successful, and a damn good fencer. Storywise, Oscar's transgender lifestyle gives the show much of the lesbian overtones that the guys at KAEL were particularly fond of. Utena tries but doesn't come close to
filling her shoes.

Oscar aside, Riyoko breathes life into a whole world of personalities.
Among actual historical characters, there are: Marie Antoinette, our ill-fated
queen; her lover Hans Axel von Fersen,
the Swedish playboy who also steals Oscar's heart;
Madame DuBarry, King Louis XV's conniving mistress; Madame Polignac,
Antoinette's deceptive friend;
Jeanne, the con-artist who spawns the infamous Diamond Necklace Scandal;
and Rosalie, a poor girl who suffers much in this
story but ends up as one of the few characters to get a happy ending. I was pleased
that all of these characters are well fleshed-out beyond their textbook
counterparts. In history, Rosalie is only known as Antoinette's
waiting girl right before her execution. But in ROSE, Riyoko gives Rosalie
a whole life story. Not only is this embellishment the fulcrum of several
very good story arcs, Rosalie also serves as a link
to the common French folk (a stand-out among the cast of royalty and nobles).
Through her character (and a few others),
the viewer comes to understand the rage and desperation behind the conception of the
French Revolution. Storytelling may be Riyoko's main goal,
but she also goes out of her way to
incorporate as many historical details into the plot as she can.
The Diamond Necklace Scandal and the Estate General are prime examples, since
they must be included in any story concerning the French Revolution. Even
revolutionary leaders
like Maximillen Robespierre and Louis Antoine de St. Just get honorable mentions along the way.

The French Revolution may cap off this story with a bang, but
Marie Antoinette's life remains the focus throughout, and much of it
is told through Oscar's perspective. From their initial encounter before Antoinette's
arrival in France, Oscar will develop a deep and loyal friendship with the future queen.
Her fencing skills and educated mind is just what the young princess needs as
protection and guide. But Oscar can only do so much for the impressionable Antoinette,
who is weak-minded and easily duped. Antoinette does mature from an
airheaded princess to a regal queen, but she never comes to understand her
responsiblity to France. During her reign as Queen,
she makes mistake after mistake. I can't exactly blame her considering the
circumstances, but many of her actions are eye-rolling-ly bad.
And they do catch up with her on the guillotine.
In comparison, Oscar is Antoinette's polar opposite. Unlike the
fragile queen, Oscar makes the most of her circumstances. She takes pride in
her military position, she offers kindness to others, and she's not afraid to
stand up for her beliefs. While impulsive, she is never stupid.
Her introspective nature is particularly welcome
in a shoujo heroine. All told, Oscar is the ideal that Antoinette can never be.
Despite her nobility, Oscar will come to understand the plight of the French people
in ways that Antoinette can not, and finally lead the French Guards to fight
on the side of the Revolution. Oscar's only flaw is
her silly crush on Fersen. Not only is it totally out of character - she
actually wears a dress for this guy - but he is so not worth it.

Someone more worthy of Oscar's affection is her life-long friend and servant
André. Every shoujo heroine needs a handsome man to faithfully and
selflessly love her; André does that and more. But unlike
so many typical shoujo love interests,
André does not suffer from a bland personality. In fact, his character
gives the end of this series much of its poignancy. How does it feel
to serve the woman you love, and hide your feelings for her sake? Even though
André is a man, he is socially below Oscar's noble class. To ask her
to love him would be asking her to lower her class. That's not
to mention Oscar does not love him (or so she thinks), and has always
considered him as a friend only (the dreaded F-word for nice guys). But Oscar
and André are made for each other. Everyone knows it except her.
André's level-headed
reasoning perfectly counteracts her hot-headed temper. He is the one staple
in her life, helping her through all the trials she endures as the only woman living
in a man's world. A more patient and understanding man I
have never seen. It's a
pleasure to watch André's feelings for Oscar slowly surface - and explode in one
cathartic episode - as the two mature from teenages to adults.
But it's equally heart-wrenching to see André change from a jovial
friend to a serious lover, considering how cruelly Oscar dismisses him
when she finds out about his feelings. In spite of unimaginable odds,
such as Oscar's infatuation with Fersen (of all losers) and his own impending blindness,
André maintains his love
(this selfless devotion is summarized beautifully in
the lyrics of the ending song). I have to say that
his inhuman level of patience and persistence
is quite frustrating to watch sometimes. Oscar just does not know how
lucky she is to have such an endearing beau. But all the persistence does pay off,
and the most satisfying part of this series
is when Oscar finally wise up and reciprocates André's
love (circa episode 37, I told you he's patient). Despite the fact that their romance is tragically short-lived, it's still well worth the wait.

Considering the age and production value of this anime, I'm happy to report that it has aged remarkably well. Although the animation is limited and crude,
it's never distracting. And unlike REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA, repetitions are used sparingly, and most of the fight scenes actually have bite.
The animators cleverly emphasizes cinematics rather than movement to make the most of plot and atmosphere.
In a world so rich in history and romance,
you don't really need fluid animation to become absorbed in the story it tells.
That said, this show still has a lot more action than your typical shoujo.
The character designs are notably realistic: those long faces and mascara-ed eyes take some getting use to. But such designs make perfect sense in a period
drama. Also in place is a good old-fashioned score to heighten the emotional
impact of every scene. Background music aside, I totally love the way every episode is bookended by two ballads - of Oscar and André respectively, both of which "explain" their characters in beautiful melodies.

The story of ROSE is not a light one. It's serious with a straight face. What
do you expect when it all ends with the French Revolution? Just look at the
self-sacrificial finalés of LES MISÉRABLES and A TALE OF TWO CITIES.
While the inevitable fate of Marie Antoinette should be no surprise,
the viewer will be curious to see how Fersen, Oscar, and André - among
many others - fare in the conclusion.
Without giving anything away, I must say that everyone gets what they deserved,
and the tone of the story remains consistent throughout. While I wasn't
happy - make that downright tearful - about the fates of some characters,
I have to admit everything happened because they should happen.
There is a certain poetic beauty and fierce dignity in even the most sorrowful outcomes.
It's good to see that Riyoko chooses the right ending for the story's sake, even if it's not a happy one.
She certainly had me grabbing for the Kleenex while asking myself:
what is it about the French Revolution that inspires such good stories?

The Rose de Versailles is not commercialized in the U.S.

Thanks to the efforts of GinRei and RoseBud, fansubs are available at the following site:
| Glass Rose Distribution |